1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to endoscopic surgery at locations in the body where tissue inserts into bone and more particularly to a method and system of performing endoscopic heel surgery.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various techniques and systems for performing endoscopic surgery in the body have been developed. These systems provide instrument access and visualization of tissue targeted by a specific operation. Advances have been made at locations in the body where a natural channel or simple pathway can be formed by a tube having a slot or opening for identifying and operating on the target tissue. However, at other locations in the body these known methods and systems for endoscopic surgery have problems providing access and visualization at or near a line of insertion of tissue to bone. Problems occur because most bones have an arcuate surface with the corresponding line of insertion curving away from the opening resulting in the diminished reach of an instrument and imaging of an endoscope. Other disadvantages of known systems include diminished visualization of deep cuts in thick tissues, the ability to identify and operate on adjacent tissues often requiting repositioning of the tube. Furthermore, a repositioned tube may not provide the needed access or visualization of the specific operation. Repositioning has other disadvantages including requiring additional surgical time and procedures, larger incisions to maneuver the tube, and increased likelihood of damage to tissue or the like. Thus, the development of method and system for use in endoscopic surgery of these arcuate bone surfaces and lines of insertion without the disadvantages of known methods and systems would advance the state of the art.
In addition, these known endoscopic techniques and systems have not solved problems of the particular environment of the bone and tissue in the foot. As the human foot is the foundation for most movement, foot pain and discomfort can cripple and seriously reduce such movement. Typically, adverse foot mechanisms coupled with factors such as obesity or various types of traumatic motion can lead to a painful heel syndrome or plantar fasciitis with or without a spur forming on the os calcis. The pain is located at a site where the plantar fascia inserts into the medial and/or lateral tubercle of the os calcis. The insertion site follows an arcuate surface of the os calcis that may have a radial component extending distally form both tubercles with a predilection towards the medial aspect of the foot. Problems arise because the foot is formed from a complex web of compact tissue and bone under considerable tension with no available natural channel. Known endoscopic techniques have advocated forming a channel using sharp dissection or using systems that visualize and blindly resect tissue from one end of a tube. Each of these has the disadvantage of increasing the risk of severing vascular and neural structures around the heel.
Various non-endoscopic surgical techniques have been put forth to relieve the painful heel syndrome. Solutions have ranged from the use of conservative measures such as orthotics to surgical intervention with varying results depending upon the patient and other factors. Surgical intervention includes forming large incisions at or around the heel, surgical exploration or dissection to reach the plantar fascia, release of the plantar fascia from the os calcis, and excision of the degenerated fascial tissue and/or spur. Known methods of surgical intervention have frequent sequela related to the interruption of the anatomy of the heel such as problems from the division of the medial calcaneal nerve causing foot numbness, protracted post operative pain and discomfort, skin incision problems or painful scars on the bottom and medial aspect of the foot, the inability to ambulate, as well as incomplete release of the plantar fascia due to inadequate visualization of the operative site. Thus, a need exists for a simple heel surgery that reduces surgical trauma without lengthening the recovery time.
Thus it is desirable to develop a method and system for endoscopic surgeries targeting the insertion of tissue to bone that reduces the trauma of surgical intervention. The system being able to overcome problems of the prior art to operate with greater precision than known before to minimize scaring, damage to tissues, identify a plurality of tissue and bone structures, and release tissue and/or resect bone. The method and system should be adaptable to foot surgery with increased surgical precision, reduced trauma and damage to the vascular and neural structures for the remedy of plantar fasciitis such as in fasciotomies, fasciectomies, biopsies and resections of a spur on the os calcis. It is desirable to form a system that can perform multiple operations and procedures for the release of the plantar fascia and reduction of bone spurs that reduces recovery time and damage.